New powers, greater role for peak Aboriginal body in Victoria
Victoria's peak Aboriginal body, the First Peoples' Assembly, would be given a direct line to ministers and the power to make appointments to government boards under legislation being developed through the state's treaty negotiations.
The assembly would also be given oversight over programs and policies designed to close the gap in life expectancy and living standards between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Ministers and government departments would be required to consult with the assembly on any laws or policies 'specifically directed' to Indigenous Victorians, and the assembly would have the authority to question ministers and provide advice to them.
The proposed reform, which would make the assembly a statutory corporation and bring it under the power of Victoria's public sector anti-corruption watchdog, IBAC, would satisfy one of the key recommendations within the Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports tabled this week in parliament.
The commission recommended the state government negotiate with First Peoples to establish a permanent, First Peoples' representative body 'with powers at all levels of political and policy decision making'.
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The commission found that exclusion from processes of government was one of the historic and ongoing injustices inflicted upon Victoria's Indigenous people since colonisation.
'As shown in the evidence to Yoorrook, any inclusion of First Peoples in the State political life is limited, circumscribed and reliant on the continuation of political goodwill,' the commission noted.
'Numerous witnesses to Yoorrook submitted that the State continues to make government policy and laws for First Peoples, rather than with or by First Peoples. Government policy decision making continues to largely disregard the voices of First Peoples Elders, organisations and communities.'
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ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
Victoria's First Peoples' Assembly reveals proposed treaty-backed powers to create new education facility
Victoria's First Peoples' Assembly will be given the power to establish its own educational institute under the forthcoming statewide treaty agreement, the ABC can reveal. The revelation is one of the first practical outcomes to be detailed following nine months of negotiations between the elected Victorian Aboriginal body and the Victorian government. A bill to legislate Victoria's nation-leading treaty agreement — which is now in the final stages of drafting — is expected to be introduced into parliament in the coming weeks. While there has been a number of public updates on the progress of Victoria's treaty negotiations, the full details of the agreement, including what it will cost, remain confidential. For the first time, the First Peoples' Assembly has outlined it intends to build an Aboriginal-run, education institute that will provide targeted skills and leadership training to First Peoples. It will be called 'The First Peoples' Institute'. The Statewide Treaty Bill will facilitate the legal changes required before the signing of the treaty agreement, which is expected to happen later this year. While the bill still requires cabinet and parliamentary approval, under treaty, the First Peoples' Assembly expects to be empowered to create Aboriginal-led initiatives like its proposed 'First Peoples' Institute'. Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg told the ABC that through treaty, the First Peoples' Assembly will build new institutions to support community needs and self-determination. Mr Berg said the educational institute, which the ABC understands will be built slowly over decades, will help address higher education gaps in the Aboriginal community and boost the existing Aboriginal workforce to "meets the needs of this new treaty era". The ABC understands it will not be set up as a school or university, but a specialised training provider to work alongside established Aboriginal training organisations and academic institutions. The First Peoples' Assembly is a democratically elected body of Victorian Aboriginal traditional owners, which is responsible for negotiating the first state-wide treaty. The upcoming treaty agreement is expected to secure an ongoing role and expanded powers for the Assembly — something already publicly backed by Premier Jacinta Allan. There are still questions about how it will work. Previous treaty negotiation updates suggest the ongoing Assembly will have accountability, advisory and decision-making roles to be set out in Victorian legislation and through the treaty agreement. It will not have veto power over government decisions. But the Assembly's announcement of its proposed new education institute shows it is expecting to receive new treaty-backed powers to create and fund its own projects. It is unclear how much the proposed education institute will cost, though the ABC understands it will be funded directly by the First Peoples' Assembly, which will in turn be funded through the treaty agreement. The state Liberals no longer support treaty or any ongoing role for the First Peoples' Assembly, which opposition leader Brad Battin has previously labelled a "Victorian Voice to Parliament". The federal Voice to Parliament, defeated at the 2023 referendum, was proposed as an advisory body enshrined in the federal constitution. While the Victorian Peoples' Assembly will have an advisory role, other responsibilities discussed at negotiations include: Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said the proposal for the First Peoples' Institute followed requests from community members throughout treaty consultations. "Our peoples have faced racism, discrimination and institutional exclusion, which have kept us from accessing the same educational opportunities as non-Aboriginal people," he said. Victoria's truth-telling inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, found First Nations students continue to experience racism within the university system. It found Aboriginal people were under-represented in the tertiary education system and over-represented among enrolled students who did not complete tertiary education. Uncle Alan Brown is a Gunditjmara man who sits on the Elders Voice advisory committee to the Assembly. He said the new institute would be a "safe place" for Aboriginal people and build on the successes of previous Aboriginal-run education programs. Uncle Alan helped establish Koori Kollij, a training program run by Victoria's Aboriginal Health service in the 1980s. "There are opportunities for Aboriginal people in other areas of the educational system, but this is important because it becomes our own," he said. He said it was commonplace for other groups like religious institutions or industry associations to set up training programs to meet specific needs. Just as the Koori Kollij helped equip a growing workforce of Aboriginal health workers, he said the new institute would equip First People with relevant skills for the treaty era. "The strength of our own First Peoples Institute is that the courses will be designed about what we need to build our future ... that will be driven by Victorian Aboriginal people," Uncle Alan said. Indigenous education academic and Deakin University associate professor Aleryk Fricker said the institute would help address entrenched educational inequality. He said he did not think it would create unnecessary duplication with existing Aboriginal institutes in mainstream universities and was a stepping stone towards the long-held aspiration for an Indigenous-owned higher education institute. "This proposal is a long way away from any kind of Indigenous tertiary institution, however it will potentially set a really important precedent for us to have some serious conversations around this reform," Professor Fricker said. As for whether non-Indigenous people working in the Aboriginal sector might also be invited to study at the proposed institute, Uncle Alan said that detail had not been worked out yet. "You would think nothing's off the table ... why wouldn't we one day be thinking about what can we do for the rest of Victoria?"
The Advertiser
14 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Labor rebounds to leads in Victorian and Queensland Resolve polls
Victorian and Queensland state Resolve polls both show Labor rebounding from big deficits to now lead. In Tasmania, Josh Willie from the left faction replaces Dean Winter as Labor leader. A Victorian state Resolve poll for The Age, conducted with the federal July and August Resolve polls from a sample more than 1,000, gave the Coalition 33% of the primary vote (down eight since March), Labor 32% (up eight), the Greens 12% (down two), independents 9% (down five) and others 13% (up six). Resolve doesn't usually give a two-party estimate for its state polls, but The Poll Bludger estimated a Labor lead by about 53-47. Labor had been far behind in March. Despite the big gain for Labor on voting intentions, Liberal leader Brad Battin led Labor incumbent Jacinta Allan by 32-25 as preferred premier (36-23 in March). This measure normally favours the incumbent more than voting intentions. Battin's lead may indicate that Labor's recovery is mostly due to the federal election result. The Age's article said Labor's primary vote was 30% in July, before Allan announced her working from home policy, and it improved to 34% in August. A national Resolve poll had voters supporting working from home at least two days a week by 64-17. Allan's net likeability surged 11 points, but is still at -21. This poll agrees with late June Newspoll and Redbridge polls in giving Labor a lead in Victoria. The next Victorian state election is not due until November 2026. While Labor has rebounded, they could fall back if voters focus more on state issues or if federal Labor's popularity subsides. By the next election, Labor will have governed Victoria for the last 12 years, and 23 of the last 27 years, so the Liberals should benefit from an "it's time" factor. However, the Liberals have their own problems with internal divisions. A Queensland state Resolve poll for The Brisbane Times, conducted in July and August from a sample of 869, gave the Liberal National Party (LNP) 34% of the primary vote (down 11 since the January to April Resolve poll), Labor 32% (up ten), the Greens 10% (down two), One Nation 8% (steady), independents 8% (up one) and others 7% (up one). Analyst Kevin Bonham estimated there would be a very narrow Labor lead after preferences. LNP premier David Crisafulli's net likeability was up two points to +20, as this was question last asked before the LNP won the October 2024 election. Labor leader Steven Miles, who was premier before the election, improved his net likeability 12 points to -1. Crisafulli led by 40-25 as preferred premier (44-22 in January to April). Unlike Victoria, other recent Queensland polls disagree with Resolve. Early July Queensland polls from Redbridge and DemosAU gave the LNP a 55-45 or 56-44 lead. On Tuesday, Labor failed to gain support for its no-confidence motion in the Tasmanian Liberal government from any non-Labor MP, despite the five Greens and four of six others being left-leaning. With Labor losing the July 19 election, the party leadership was spilled. On Wednesday, Josh Willie from the left faction replaced Dean Winter as Tasmanian Labor leader after a long meeting of Labor's 10 state MPs. Officially this was unanimous to avoid a membership ballot, with Winter stepping aside. The ABC said many MPs wanted Winter to remain leader, but party members would have likely strongly favoured Willie. If Labor wants to return to government soon, Willie will need to repair Labor's relationship with the Greens and left-leaning independents. Labor's last period in government finished in 2014. I previously covered the August 11-16 federal Resolve poll that gave Labor a 59-41 lead. In additional questions, respondents supported a legislated right to work from home at least two days a week by 64-17 if an employee's job allows this. By 66-13, respondents supported a four-day week if an employee did the same work they would have over five days. Victorian and Queensland state Resolve polls both show Labor rebounding from big deficits to now lead. In Tasmania, Josh Willie from the left faction replaces Dean Winter as Labor leader. A Victorian state Resolve poll for The Age, conducted with the federal July and August Resolve polls from a sample more than 1,000, gave the Coalition 33% of the primary vote (down eight since March), Labor 32% (up eight), the Greens 12% (down two), independents 9% (down five) and others 13% (up six). Resolve doesn't usually give a two-party estimate for its state polls, but The Poll Bludger estimated a Labor lead by about 53-47. Labor had been far behind in March. Despite the big gain for Labor on voting intentions, Liberal leader Brad Battin led Labor incumbent Jacinta Allan by 32-25 as preferred premier (36-23 in March). This measure normally favours the incumbent more than voting intentions. Battin's lead may indicate that Labor's recovery is mostly due to the federal election result. The Age's article said Labor's primary vote was 30% in July, before Allan announced her working from home policy, and it improved to 34% in August. A national Resolve poll had voters supporting working from home at least two days a week by 64-17. Allan's net likeability surged 11 points, but is still at -21. This poll agrees with late June Newspoll and Redbridge polls in giving Labor a lead in Victoria. The next Victorian state election is not due until November 2026. While Labor has rebounded, they could fall back if voters focus more on state issues or if federal Labor's popularity subsides. By the next election, Labor will have governed Victoria for the last 12 years, and 23 of the last 27 years, so the Liberals should benefit from an "it's time" factor. However, the Liberals have their own problems with internal divisions. A Queensland state Resolve poll for The Brisbane Times, conducted in July and August from a sample of 869, gave the Liberal National Party (LNP) 34% of the primary vote (down 11 since the January to April Resolve poll), Labor 32% (up ten), the Greens 10% (down two), One Nation 8% (steady), independents 8% (up one) and others 7% (up one). Analyst Kevin Bonham estimated there would be a very narrow Labor lead after preferences. LNP premier David Crisafulli's net likeability was up two points to +20, as this was question last asked before the LNP won the October 2024 election. Labor leader Steven Miles, who was premier before the election, improved his net likeability 12 points to -1. Crisafulli led by 40-25 as preferred premier (44-22 in January to April). Unlike Victoria, other recent Queensland polls disagree with Resolve. Early July Queensland polls from Redbridge and DemosAU gave the LNP a 55-45 or 56-44 lead. On Tuesday, Labor failed to gain support for its no-confidence motion in the Tasmanian Liberal government from any non-Labor MP, despite the five Greens and four of six others being left-leaning. With Labor losing the July 19 election, the party leadership was spilled. On Wednesday, Josh Willie from the left faction replaced Dean Winter as Tasmanian Labor leader after a long meeting of Labor's 10 state MPs. Officially this was unanimous to avoid a membership ballot, with Winter stepping aside. The ABC said many MPs wanted Winter to remain leader, but party members would have likely strongly favoured Willie. If Labor wants to return to government soon, Willie will need to repair Labor's relationship with the Greens and left-leaning independents. Labor's last period in government finished in 2014. I previously covered the August 11-16 federal Resolve poll that gave Labor a 59-41 lead. In additional questions, respondents supported a legislated right to work from home at least two days a week by 64-17 if an employee's job allows this. By 66-13, respondents supported a four-day week if an employee did the same work they would have over five days. Victorian and Queensland state Resolve polls both show Labor rebounding from big deficits to now lead. In Tasmania, Josh Willie from the left faction replaces Dean Winter as Labor leader. A Victorian state Resolve poll for The Age, conducted with the federal July and August Resolve polls from a sample more than 1,000, gave the Coalition 33% of the primary vote (down eight since March), Labor 32% (up eight), the Greens 12% (down two), independents 9% (down five) and others 13% (up six). Resolve doesn't usually give a two-party estimate for its state polls, but The Poll Bludger estimated a Labor lead by about 53-47. Labor had been far behind in March. Despite the big gain for Labor on voting intentions, Liberal leader Brad Battin led Labor incumbent Jacinta Allan by 32-25 as preferred premier (36-23 in March). This measure normally favours the incumbent more than voting intentions. Battin's lead may indicate that Labor's recovery is mostly due to the federal election result. The Age's article said Labor's primary vote was 30% in July, before Allan announced her working from home policy, and it improved to 34% in August. A national Resolve poll had voters supporting working from home at least two days a week by 64-17. Allan's net likeability surged 11 points, but is still at -21. This poll agrees with late June Newspoll and Redbridge polls in giving Labor a lead in Victoria. The next Victorian state election is not due until November 2026. While Labor has rebounded, they could fall back if voters focus more on state issues or if federal Labor's popularity subsides. By the next election, Labor will have governed Victoria for the last 12 years, and 23 of the last 27 years, so the Liberals should benefit from an "it's time" factor. However, the Liberals have their own problems with internal divisions. A Queensland state Resolve poll for The Brisbane Times, conducted in July and August from a sample of 869, gave the Liberal National Party (LNP) 34% of the primary vote (down 11 since the January to April Resolve poll), Labor 32% (up ten), the Greens 10% (down two), One Nation 8% (steady), independents 8% (up one) and others 7% (up one). Analyst Kevin Bonham estimated there would be a very narrow Labor lead after preferences. LNP premier David Crisafulli's net likeability was up two points to +20, as this was question last asked before the LNP won the October 2024 election. Labor leader Steven Miles, who was premier before the election, improved his net likeability 12 points to -1. Crisafulli led by 40-25 as preferred premier (44-22 in January to April). Unlike Victoria, other recent Queensland polls disagree with Resolve. Early July Queensland polls from Redbridge and DemosAU gave the LNP a 55-45 or 56-44 lead. On Tuesday, Labor failed to gain support for its no-confidence motion in the Tasmanian Liberal government from any non-Labor MP, despite the five Greens and four of six others being left-leaning. With Labor losing the July 19 election, the party leadership was spilled. On Wednesday, Josh Willie from the left faction replaced Dean Winter as Tasmanian Labor leader after a long meeting of Labor's 10 state MPs. Officially this was unanimous to avoid a membership ballot, with Winter stepping aside. The ABC said many MPs wanted Winter to remain leader, but party members would have likely strongly favoured Willie. If Labor wants to return to government soon, Willie will need to repair Labor's relationship with the Greens and left-leaning independents. Labor's last period in government finished in 2014. I previously covered the August 11-16 federal Resolve poll that gave Labor a 59-41 lead. In additional questions, respondents supported a legislated right to work from home at least two days a week by 64-17 if an employee's job allows this. By 66-13, respondents supported a four-day week if an employee did the same work they would have over five days. Victorian and Queensland state Resolve polls both show Labor rebounding from big deficits to now lead. In Tasmania, Josh Willie from the left faction replaces Dean Winter as Labor leader. A Victorian state Resolve poll for The Age, conducted with the federal July and August Resolve polls from a sample more than 1,000, gave the Coalition 33% of the primary vote (down eight since March), Labor 32% (up eight), the Greens 12% (down two), independents 9% (down five) and others 13% (up six). Resolve doesn't usually give a two-party estimate for its state polls, but The Poll Bludger estimated a Labor lead by about 53-47. Labor had been far behind in March. Despite the big gain for Labor on voting intentions, Liberal leader Brad Battin led Labor incumbent Jacinta Allan by 32-25 as preferred premier (36-23 in March). This measure normally favours the incumbent more than voting intentions. Battin's lead may indicate that Labor's recovery is mostly due to the federal election result. The Age's article said Labor's primary vote was 30% in July, before Allan announced her working from home policy, and it improved to 34% in August. A national Resolve poll had voters supporting working from home at least two days a week by 64-17. Allan's net likeability surged 11 points, but is still at -21. This poll agrees with late June Newspoll and Redbridge polls in giving Labor a lead in Victoria. The next Victorian state election is not due until November 2026. While Labor has rebounded, they could fall back if voters focus more on state issues or if federal Labor's popularity subsides. By the next election, Labor will have governed Victoria for the last 12 years, and 23 of the last 27 years, so the Liberals should benefit from an "it's time" factor. However, the Liberals have their own problems with internal divisions. A Queensland state Resolve poll for The Brisbane Times, conducted in July and August from a sample of 869, gave the Liberal National Party (LNP) 34% of the primary vote (down 11 since the January to April Resolve poll), Labor 32% (up ten), the Greens 10% (down two), One Nation 8% (steady), independents 8% (up one) and others 7% (up one). Analyst Kevin Bonham estimated there would be a very narrow Labor lead after preferences. LNP premier David Crisafulli's net likeability was up two points to +20, as this was question last asked before the LNP won the October 2024 election. Labor leader Steven Miles, who was premier before the election, improved his net likeability 12 points to -1. Crisafulli led by 40-25 as preferred premier (44-22 in January to April). Unlike Victoria, other recent Queensland polls disagree with Resolve. Early July Queensland polls from Redbridge and DemosAU gave the LNP a 55-45 or 56-44 lead. On Tuesday, Labor failed to gain support for its no-confidence motion in the Tasmanian Liberal government from any non-Labor MP, despite the five Greens and four of six others being left-leaning. With Labor losing the July 19 election, the party leadership was spilled. On Wednesday, Josh Willie from the left faction replaced Dean Winter as Tasmanian Labor leader after a long meeting of Labor's 10 state MPs. Officially this was unanimous to avoid a membership ballot, with Winter stepping aside. The ABC said many MPs wanted Winter to remain leader, but party members would have likely strongly favoured Willie. If Labor wants to return to government soon, Willie will need to repair Labor's relationship with the Greens and left-leaning independents. Labor's last period in government finished in 2014. I previously covered the August 11-16 federal Resolve poll that gave Labor a 59-41 lead. In additional questions, respondents supported a legislated right to work from home at least two days a week by 64-17 if an employee's job allows this. By 66-13, respondents supported a four-day week if an employee did the same work they would have over five days.
Sky News AU
21 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'We need violence': 'March for Australia' organiser defends shock audio as left-wing groups mobilise against anti-immigration rally
Tensions are rising in Melbourne as left-wing activists pledge to stamp out a national anti-immigration protest movement, raising concerns about public safety ahead of rallies planned in multiple capital cities. Police in Victoria are on high alert ahead of planned rallies targeting mass immigration, as far-left protest groups call for a counter-mobilisation that's already fuelling fears of confrontation on the streets. The 'March for Australia' movement exploded in popularity following a viral TikTok video and is planning rallies in several cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra on August 31. The organisers say the protests are aimed at opposing high immigration and "taking our country back", but controversy has surrounded the movement after the fringe far-right group National Socialist Network publicly backed it. 'March for Australia' organisers issued an 'urgent press release' last week distancing themselves from the extremist groups, stating they had no affiliation with "White Australia". Despite that, far-left groups, including the Victorian Socialists and pro-Palestinian collective Sit-Intifada, have called on supporters to meet at Melbourne's State Library in a direct challenge to the anti-immigration protest just blocks away at Flinders Street Station. 'On the 31st of August an anti-fascist mobilisation has been called,' Victorian Socialists candidate Jordan van den Lamb posted on X. 'Meet at 11am at the State Library and bring your friends.' A promotional flyer for the counter-protest brands the rally as a 'pro-Palestine, anti-fascist march for an Aboriginal and multicultural Australia' and accuses March for Australia of promoting a white supremacist agenda. 'This is a serious attack on Indigenous, Black and Brown people, migrants, refugees and Palestinians,' the flyer reads. 'Gather at 11am for an anti-fascist mobilisation, at the State Library. Rally speeches will begin at 12pm. The march will commence at 12.15pm.' — March for Australia (@marchforaus) August 18, 2025 Backing the call to action - according to the flyer - are several far-left groups, including Unionists for Palestine, Anarchist Communist Federation, Community Defence Marshalling System and the Free Palestine Coalition Naarm. Victoria Police is monitoring the situation but has not yet issued a public statement. 'We ask organisers to engage with police about their plans so we can ensure the protest is conducted in a peaceful and lawful manner,' a spokeswoman said. Concerns have escalated in light of past violent incidents during Melbourne protests, including a clash outside the Land Forces weapons expo in September, where police were attacked with rocks and horse manure by anti-war activists. Meanwhile, one of the organisers behind the Sydney March for Australia rally, known online as 'Bec Freedom', is under fire after audio emerged of her calling for violence akin to the 2005 Cronulla Riots. 'We need violence, I'm sorry, but we need f**king violence,' she said in a leaked X Spaces discussion. 'We've done peaceful, peaceful hasn't done s**t. I don't think that anything significant is going to change unless something like that does happen again.' During a fiery interview with 2GB host Ben Fordham, she insisted the comments were taken out of context. 'The fact is, if we're talking about August 31, I'm liaising with the police, I'm making sure our protests avoid the Palestinians for that reason because my goal is to make sure everyone stays safe,' she said. Fordham pushed back, pointing to the inflammatory nature of her remarks. 'What are you doing online in forums with lots of people listening in saying 'we need violence'?' he asked. 'That is what I said, yes, and I've since apologised for putting fear into anyone. That was not my intent. It was taken the wrong way,' Bec Freedom responded. 'One hundred per cent I do.' She also claimed to have received death threats and accused counter-protesters of plotting to target her event. 'The police understand the gravity of the situation. They understand there are counter-protests planned to come and attack. I've had death threats, I've been told that I'm going to have things thrown at me.' Fordham acknowledged community concerns about migration, but warned against rhetoric that could incite unrest. 'I just think it's going to be an issue where you've got a protest organiser who was out there just a few months ago talking about the Cronulla Riots and how we need that kind of violence,' he said. With tensions running high on both sides and both rallies set to go ahead, all eyes will be on Melbourne on August 31 as authorities brace for potential clashes.
